Hexthorpe man jailed for bottle attack

Sheffield Crown Court

A drunken thug has been locked up for a vicious attack on a man at a house party which left him with life-changing injuries.

New dad Christopher Wilson was jailed for two years and eight months after he admitted smashing Melvin Hamilton over the head with a beer bottle.

Sheffield Crown Court heard the attack in Doncaster caused Mr Hamilton to suffer a serious brain injury and left him with mobility problems.

Judge Sarah Wright said: “You hit the victim over the head with that bottle which knocked him out and caused a very serious head injury. It caused a bleed to the brain.

“There are ongoing issues for Mr Hamilton as a result of your attack.”

The court heard Wilson, aged 28, of Beaconsfield Road, Hexthorpe, had gathered with friends for a party at Mr Hamilton’s home in Rufford Road on May 29 last year.

Louise Revell, prosecuting, said Wilson had been drinking before he and a pal were heard ‘messing around and being very noisy’ upstairs.

Mr Hamilton confronted him and the two started to argue.

Mrs Revell said the pair ended up outside and Wilson ‘hit Mr Hamilton on the head with a Budweiser bottle’.

“The complainant fell to the ground and was unconscious.”

The court heard Mr Hamilton, who suffered a severe gash to the head and internal bleeding, now walks with a stick and is on medication.

He has also had to specially adapt his home.

Lucy Brown, defending, said her client ‘deeply regrets’ the attack.

She added: “He has become a father, they have a seven-month-old child and he is in employment, working on the railways. He has put alcohol use behind him and made tremendous efforts to change his previous lifestyle.”

Wilson pleaded guilty to unlawful wounding.

The court heard he had been in jail previously and had a string of previous convictions stretching back to 2007, which included shoplifting, attempted robbery and theft.

Judge Wright told him: “I only hope when you are released you continue to look forward and not backwards.”